His lere, his lesson.

Medled, mingled.

Beastlihead, a greeting to the person of a beast.
Sibbe, a kinne.

Nervell, a newe thing.

To forestall, to prevent.
Glee, cheare: aforesaid.

Deare a price, his life which he lost for those toyes.

Such end, is an Epiphonema, or rather the moral of the whole tale, whose purpose is to warn the Protestant to beware, how he giveth credit to the unfaithfull Catholique: wherof we have dayly proofes sufficient, but one most famous of all practised of late yeares by Charles the ninth.

Faine, glad or desirous.

Our sir Iohn, a Popish priest. A saying fit for the grosnesse of a shepheard, but spoken to taunte unlearned priests.

Dismount, descend or set.
Nye, draweth neere.

EMBLEME.

Both these Emblemes make one whole Hexametre. The first spoken of Palinode, as in reproach of them that be distrustfull, is a peece of Theognis verse, intending, that who doth most mistrust is most false. For such experience in falshood breedeth mistrust in the minde, thinking no lesse guile to lurke in others then in himselfe. But Piers thereto strongly replieth with an other peece of the same verse, saying, as in his former fable, what faith then is there in the faithlesse? For if faith be the ground of Religion, which faith they daily false, what hold is there of their religion? And this is all that they say.

IUNE.

AEGLOGA SEXTA.

Argument.

THIS Aeglogue is wholly vowed to the complayning of Colins ill successe in his love. For being (as is aforesaid) enamored of a country lasse Rosalind, and having (as seemeth) found place in her heart, hee lamenteth to his deare friend Hobbi noll, that he is now forsaken unfaithfully; and in his steade Menalcas another shepheard received disloyally. And this is the whole Argument of this Aeglogue.

HOBBINOLL. COLIN CLOUT.

HOBBINOLL.

Lo! Colin, here the place whose plesaunt syte
From other shades hath weand my wandring minde;
Till mee, what wants mee here to worke delyte?
The simple ayre, the gentle warbling winde,
So calme, so coole, as no where else I finde;
The grassie grounde with daintie daysies dight,
The bramble bush, where byrdes of every kinde
To the waters fall their tunes attemper right.

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COL. O happie Hobbinoll! I blesse thy state, That Paradise hast founde which Adam lost: 10 Here wander may thy flocke earely or late, Withouten dread of wolves to bene ytost;

Thy lovely layes here maist thou freely boste: But I, unhappie Man! whom cruell Fate

And angrie gods pursue from coste to coste, 15 Can no where finde to shroude my lucklessse pate.

HOB. Then, if by mee thou list advised bee, Forsake the soyle that so doth thee bewitch; Leave mee those hilles where harbrough nis to

Nor holy-bush, nor brere, nor winding ditch; 20 And to the dales resort, where shepheards ritch, And fruitfull flocks, bene every where to see: Here no night-ravens lodge, more black then pitch,

Nor elvish ghosts, nor gastly owles doe flee;

But friendly Faeries, met with many Graces, 25 And lightfoote Nymphes, can chace the lingring Night

With heydeguyes, and trimly trodden traces, Whilst Systers Nyne, which dwell on Parnasse

hight,

Doe make them musick for their more delight; And Pan himselfe to kisse their christall faces 30 Will pype and daunce, when Phoebe shineth bright; Such pierlesse pleasures have wee in these places.

COL. And I, whylst youth, and course of care-
lesse yeeres,

Did let mee walke withouten lincks of love,
In such delights did ioy amongst my peeres; 35
But ryper age such pleasures doth reproove;

My fansie eke from former follies moove

To stayed steps; for time in passing weares, (As garments doen, which wexen olde above,) And draweth newe delights with hoarie haires.

Tho couth I sing of love, and tune my pype 41
Unto my plaintive pleas in verses made;
Tho would I seeke for queene-apples unrype;
To give my Rosalind, and in sommer shade
Dight gaudie girlonds was my common trade, 45
To crowne her golden locks; but yeeres more
гуре,

And losse of her, whose love as lyfe I wayde,
Those weary wanton toyes away did wype.

HOB. Colin! to heare thy rymes and roun

delayes,

Which thou wert wont on wastefull hilles to sing,
I more delight then larke in sommer dayes, 51
Whose eccho made the neighbour groves to 1ing,
And taught the byrdes, which in the lower spring
Did shroude in shady leaves from sunny rayes,
Frame to thy songe their cheerefull cheriping,
Or holde their peace, for shame of thy sweete
layes.

I saw Calliope with Muses moe,

Soone as thy oaten pype began to sounde,
Their yvory lutes and tamburins forgoe,

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And from the fountaine, where they sat around,

Renne after hastely thy silver sound;

61

But, when they came where thou thy skill didst

showe,

They drewe abacke, as halfe with shame con

found

Shepheard to see, them in their arte outgoe.

COL. Of Muses, Hobbinoll! I conne no skill, For they bene daughters of the highest love, 66 And holden scorne of homely shepheards quill; For sith I heard that Pan with Phoebus strove, Which him to much rebuke and daunger drove, I never list presume to Parnasse hill; But, pyping low in shade of lowly grove, I play to please myselfe, all be it ill.

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Nought weigh I, who my song doth praise or blame,
Ne strive to winne renowne, or passe the rest:
With shepheard sittes not followe flying Fame; 75
But feede his flocke in fieldes where falls hem
best.

I wote my rymes bene rough, and rudely drest;
The fitter they my carefull case to frame;
Enough is mee to paint out my unrest,
And poure my piteous plaintes out in the same.

The god of shepheards, Tityrus, is dead,
Who taught mee homely, as I can, to make:
Hee, whilst hee lived, was the soveraigne head
Of shepheards all that bene with love ytake:

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